Will Chris Christie Leave Presidential Trail to Return Home for Storm?

Chris Christie has cancelled a series of campaign appearances scheduled in New Hampshire for Friday and Saturday “due to inclement weather in New Jersey”, his campaign has announced.

“We’re not all that concerned about it and especially because it’s happening on a weekend, that makes it much easier”, he said. “What do you say to those critics who say, ‘Why did you go back up to New Hampshire so quickly?'” [Huffington Post editor Sam Stein] asked, as the program rolled footage showing flooding in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, on Saturday.

Christie’s camp said that his wife Mary Pat will remain in New Hampshire but that the governor plans to return home Friday afternoon.

Christie spent less than 48 hours in New Jersey before returning to New Hampshire, a decision that has drawn some criticism.

The projection models are not reliable enough to know how hard New Jersey will be hit, he said, but said a foot of snow is not something his state isn’t prepared to handle. “This is my home and this is my job”.

New Jersey is on the outer edges of the storm’s projected path, but could see substantial coastal flooding and high wind gusts.

In Christie’s absence, nothing is being done to curb a looming crisis in state transportation funding that legislative leaders had hoped to address by increasing New Jersey’s gasoline tax.

“We managed it, we managed it very well”, the governor said. “I encourage all New Jerseyans to drive carefully and remain off the roads if possible so that our first responders and public safety officials can safely respond to any emergency situations”.

De Blasio, during an interview Friday on CNN, had called upon all governors with states affected by the storm to return to their states.

As for federal disaster assistance, Christie said that damage assessments are underway. And southern New Jersey was squarely in Jonas’ crosshairs. “We know how to do it. We’re pretty experienced at it”, Christie told reporters on Thursday, responding to questions about staying in New Hampshire ahead of the storm.

Christie said they were exposing the area to more water damage, citing news reports of early morning floods in Margate. “But I don’t expect that Senator Rubio would be able to understand that, because he’s never had to make a decision of any outcome at all that he’s had to be held accountable for”.

“It’s time to come home”, the mayor said. “I really think that our veterans are not being taken care of, whether they’re suffering from mental illness or drug and alcohol addiction”.